
February 17, 2022 · 0 Comments
By Sam Odrowski
An Orangeville resident who created an online petition against the Town’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy that’s gained over 700 signatures in two weeks, spoke at Monday (Feb. 14) night’s Council meeting.
Peggy Bond, who’s also a healthcare professional, requested that the Town of Orangeville rescind its vaccine policy, noting that Ontario’s top doctor Dr. Kieran Moore recommended lifting the provincial vaccine passport program due to the current COVID-19 vaccines inefficacy at stopping transmission.
Bond, who requested documents/evidence supporting the Town’s vaccine policy during a Council meeting last month, said what she received wasn’t able to “demonstrably justify the purpose of the policy”, which is to “prevent the spread of COVID-19 and variants”.
“At this point, I would like to remind you or perhaps educate you that as a healthcare professional working for over 20 years in direct patient care, and governed by the Regulated Health Professions Act of Ontario, that vaccination is a medical intervention,” said Bond to Council. “It requires medical, evidence-based indication, and informed consent without any form of coercion or restriction. Private industries and government have no authority to impose and/or coerce vaccination with restrictions on fundamental freedoms and liberties, including the loss of employment or threat of the same.”
Bond went on to summarize her concerns with the current policy, which is that it does not increase workplace safety through reducing transmission of COVID-19, it isn’t supported by referenced experts in the Town’s evidence used to form the policy, and she said it violates several laws, acts, codes, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
As well, she told Council that there will be a loss of service, and increased costs to the Town and taxpayers through potential lawsuits, retraining, and rehiring. However, in a press release released by the Town last Saturday, it noted that Orangeville has 100 per cent compliance with its vaccine policy for staff, contractors and vendors.
Bond went on to say, “The decision to rescind this redundant policy rests only on your shoulders now. This policy creates and supports division of the citizens of this community. I’m asking, will you take this step forward to do your part as leaders in this community to end the division that is so apparent not just in Orangeville, but across our entire country?”
She added, “It is time for all of us to heal together and move forward together. So, I am imploring you and I’m asking you on behalf of all of the people [virtually] in town hall today with me. Will you reconsider and rescind this policy?”
Mayor Brown then asked if that was the extent of Bond’s presentation, to which she replied that she has another question that was dependent on the Council’s response to the first question about rescinding the policy.
With no immediate answer, and only 50 seconds left in her five-minute delegation, Bond continued by saying if the answer is no, it’s the Town’s obligation under the Human Rights Code to regularly review the vaccine policy to update and match the most current pandemic conditions.
She quoted the Human Rights Code in her letter to Council that’s in her delegation on the Feb. 14 agenda, which states, “Proof of vaccine and vaccine mandate policies, or any COVID testing alternatives, that result in people being denied equal access to employment or services on Code grounds, should only be used for the shortest possible length of time. Such policies might only be justifiable during a pandemic. They should regularly be reviewed and updated to match the most current pandemic conditions, and to reflect up-to-date evidence and public health guidance.”
Bond concluded her delegation by saying Dr. Kieran Moore’s statements about the COVID-19 vaccines providing minimal protection against transmission and his recommendation to rescind vaccine passports, which Ontario is doing as of March 1, should make the Town rescind its policy, effective immediately.
Mayor Brown responded to Bond by saying the Town has over 320 employees, and they’ve had 100 per cent uptake on the vaccine.
“Over 90 per cent of Orangeville residents took the vaccine path. They were not coerced. They made the decisions based on their own fact finding and evidence,” he remarked. “We’re certainly not going to be debating this tonight. So as of this moment, the answer is no.”
Mayor Brown added that, “I imagine in the future, there’ll be some discussion about the policy as things unfold, but it certainly won’t be happening tonight.”
He also noted, he’s still very much in favour of promoting COVID-19 vaccines for everybody,
“That’s my personal opinion,” Mayor Brown said. “I don’t think there’s really anything further to say unless there’s any councillors that wish to make comment at this moment?”
No other councillors chimed in, and Mayor Brown thanked Bond for her presentation.
She responded with, “I would like to say thank you to Debbie Sherwood for being the lone voice of reason in council.”
Coun. Sherwood is the only councillor who voted against the mandatory vaccine policy in late September of last year.
Following Bond’s final comment, Council moved on to the next item on their agenda.